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USB Power to the Glovebox

Have you ever parked your car and gone inside somewhere while your phone/GPS/dash camera is almost flat? If only you could charge your device inside the car with the ignition turned off. But, what if someone sees your device charging and steals it? Argh! If only you could hide everything inside the glovebox.

This was one of the easiest modifications I’ve ever done.

This is exactly what I’ve done in my latest car modification. I have installed always-on USB power to my glovebox. This means I can charge my dash camera, GPS, phone, MP3 player etc, even when the car is turned off, and all in the privacy of my glovebox so that no opportunistic thieves can see what’s going on.

This was a really simple modification, because I already have always-on USB power for my GPS tracking system, so I just tapped in a spare USB Micro-B cable (suitable for most cellphones) to my box of tricks, and ran the cable to the glovebox.

No longer will I have to be in the car to recharge my phone.

But what if I want to charge a device with a different sized USB connector? I just plug in my USB Micro-B to USB Mini-B adapter.

These little things are very convenient, and only $0.90 from eBay.

Now I can charge my dash camera (which has a USB Mini-B socket) any time I the car is parked. It means my dash camera will be charged by the time I get back to the car from a shopping centre or cafe.

My dash cam is the most-recharged item I own.

This idea has been in the back of my mind for a couple of years, and I finally got around to doing it. It works well and I definitely recommend it.

My dash camera’s battery only lasts around 45 minutes, and often goes flat. Being able to top it up while I’m in a shop will be a real time saver. No longer will I need to wait in the car while my dash camera or mobile phone charges up. Now I can just walk into a shopping centre without anyone knowing my expensive gadgets are hiding (and charging) in the car. 😉

You’d never know there’s something charging inside the glovebox.

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